Since finding a reliable brand of coffee can be difficult we’ve taken the leg work out and found the best options for getting that organic goodness into your cup. First, know that organic coffee is coffee produced without the aid of artificial chemical substances, such as certain additives or some pesticides and herbicides. Second, know that you’re in for some seriously impressive coffee.

I have searched for a K-cup coffee that has a strong bold taste. The best that I have found is Caribou Obsidian. This comes close. Full flavor with no bitterness. Even using the K-cup a second time to make a small cup gives more flavor than several other brands do on the first run through. I will definitely buy again. This is the same review that I gave for Italian dark Roast. Why? They are both close seconds to Obsidian.
Counter Culture was originally founded in 1995 and was one of the early leaders in the specialty coffee movement. Today, they focus on sustainability and quality and offer several different roasts that you can choose from. They have several different subscription plans available, but their most popular is the single-origin subscription, which gets you two 12 oz. bags of coffee with each shipment. With this coffee subscription you can have your coffee delivered to your door every one, two, three or four weeks.

Based out of Portland, this well-renowned roaster offers a slightly different take from others on the coffee subscription. Every two weeks you’ll get a rotating selection of coffee. And you can always order more of whatever type of coffee you enjoyed the most. This is a great way to stock up your coffee supply while trying new coffees you might not have even considered before. If you want to expand your coffee-tasting horizons, this could be the coffee subscription for you.

Their unique business model is one of the main advantages of Equal Exchange. They are one of the most ethical and environment-friendly brands around. They source high-quality arabica beans almost exclusively from small organic farmers who practice sustainable farming methods. As for the coffee, it is a smooth blend of medium and dark roasts. The final effect is a very mellow, not too strong or harsh coffee with a rich feel.
This coffee was one of the best whole bean coffee's I've purchased from Amazon. I use it to supplement my normal monthly purchases of Kicking Horse Coffee Kick Ass Dark, Whole Bean Coffee, 2.2-Pound Pouch and Jammin' Java Coffee Lion's Blend, Organic Gourmet Whole Bean Coffee. Medium Dark, Rich & Aromatic., 2.2-Pounds. (Yes I drink a lot of coffee in my house) I found the slight orange hints in the the roast to be very pleasant to the palette but not too overpowering in caffeine. It's very smooth and as my title suggests, no bitter aftertaste. I feel this blend is worth at least a try if you like stronger dark roasts. Tried this in a French press and a conventional machine. Makes a great cup in either.
I try to eat & drink all-organic whenever possible, including my coffee, in order to avoid ingesting toxins. Certified organic coffee (in this case, certified by QAI--Quality Assurance Intl.) is grown & processed w/o pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers, & other potentially harmful chemicals. So, Newman's Own 'Organics' Coffee is my daily 'go-to' coffee. I like the flavor of this 'Newman's Special Blend Medium Roast - Extra Bold' organic Arabica coffee. It's smooth, rich, hearty, & full-bodied, not bitter & not too acidic. It produces a pleasing aroma every morning from my Keurig B70 Platinum coffeemaker. I don't use any sweeteners, but I do stir in some Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Crème. Mmmm! You do sacrifice some freshness & flavor for the convenience of K-Cups vs. grinding your own beans. But the extra time & mess of coffee grinding are luxuries I can't afford in the rush of weekday mornings. One negative, & the reason for just 4 stars instead of 5: I do find that I sometimes get a stale box of K-Cups, even when the future 'best buy' date on the bottom of the 18-pod box is up to 20 months away, as was the case just last month w/a carton stamped w/an April 2019 'best buy' date. The distributor is Keurig Green Mountain. One wonders just how this coffee is initially stored, then transported, & then finally stored again after it arrives at Best Buy's facilities. For my part, I always keep the K-Cups stored in a cool, dry place, as recommended.

If you are thinking of buying K-cups, we have you covered in the rest of this guide. This post, however, will be focused on those that are organic. We will go through five of the top picks that are available on the market and some of the things that make them exceptional. We’ll also give you a quick look at some of the essential factors that you have to consider.

Start their day with a cup of coffee that’s ultra-smooth and has a delicately sweet fragrance. Because these cups brew a single-serving cup of coffee, it’s ready in just seconds, which is great for anyone who finds themselves short on time during hectic weekday mornings. Unlike dark roasts, this light roast offers a delicate blend of distinct flavors. It’s roasted for a shorter amount of time, which helps it retain a higher caffeine count. The crisp flavor of this light roast coffee makes it the perfect starting point for the perfect blend coffee. Add sugar or sweetener, creamer or coconut milk. No matter how you like to dress up your coffee, this morning blend coffee makes a perfect canvas.
In conclusion, organic coffee is one of the products you can take to brighten your day. Taking organic coffee can improve your alertness, make you have a great sleep and prevents your body from the risks of many diseases. Organic coffee is blended in many brands, so it is upon the consumer to determine the best brand for him. Some of the best brands we have include the death wish ground coffee, café don Pablo gourmet coffee medium, equal exchange organic coffee, breakfast blend, san Fransisco bay organic coffee and many others. This are some of the blends that can make your day start good with greatenergy.
A coffee crop also requires a great deal of water, particularly when it is being grown quickly. It takes 37 gallons of water to produce enough beans for just one cup of coffee. Coffee is often produced in countries with a shortage of water, such as Ethiopia, and the combination of high water consumption and high fertilizer and pesticide use can lead to water degradation and pollution in water runoff.
The idea of a K-Cup is definitely going to turn off a coffee snob. They like to have total control over the coffee—from the roasting to the grinding to the brewing to the preparing (God forbid you add milk!). They may consider using their own beans in a reusable K-Cup, but the fact that they can't control the brewing temperature and duration of the Keurig machine means they will look at the K-Cups the way they would a cup of convenience store coffee.
Kim Westerman is a licensed Q-grader, a longtime food, wine and travel writer and a certified sommelier. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Forbes, the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area Bites, and many other publications. She happily brings her sensory training in wine to the evaluation of coffee in Coffee Review’s Berkeley lab. She also handles communication with roasters and review logistics.
The best ground coffee was New England medium roast. This coffee tricked our bold coffee lovers into thinking it would be a weaker or lighter coffee, but it won everyone over with the taste and overall quality. Our tasters noted the sweet smell and smooth taste of the New England Coffee’s medium roast. An added benefit of New England’s medium roast is the price, costing a very cool $.45 per ounce, this will please both your taste buds, and your wallet.
We've featured a few wet-processed brands on this list, but tossing coffee beans into water tanks isn't the only way to treat them! With dry-processed beans, they're set out in the sun to bake until they're ready to be roasted. They can be slightly acidic since they don't go through a fermentation process, but a little kick just adds to the thrill of drinking something so raw and wild.
Other coffees appearing on the list were grown in 16 different countries. The most frequently appearing origins were Ethiopia and Kenya, with four coffees each. Origins with two coffees each on the list included Burundi, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Sumatra, and Tanzania. Origins appearing on the list with one coffee each included the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda, Hawaii (United States), and Yemen.
My parents drank Hazelnut Maxwell House for as long as I can remember, and used the empty metal canisters to store Ajax sponges and toolshed sundries. As a result I’ve always had a soft spot for canned coffee, and Maxwell House in particular, but of the canned coffees I tasted, it’s the best. Maxwell House is thoroughly uncomplicated, and it’s a difficult coffee to describe with much specificity. It is a perfectly reasonable (and quite cheap) starter coffee—that is, a coffee to start the day with—and one that doesn’t sacrifice flavor for affordability. It turns a bit as it cools, taking on a bitter aftertaste, but a quick drinker with a small mug should get by OK. A single caveat: Don’t microwave Maxwell House and expect to enjoy what comes out; it tastes unmistakably like airplane coffee, which in the grand hierarchy of complimentary coffee ranks just below single-serving hotel room coffee. For the price, even a coffee Scrooge like me would say you ought to just make a new pot.

Brought to you by the Death Wish Company, Valhalla Java Odinforce Blend is a top-ranking ground coffee made from beans sourced from Indonesian and Central and South America’s very best. It is a masterful artisan roast, carefully processed to yield maximum rich flavor along with a reinvigorating caffeine content. Its coffee beans are expertly selected and carefully roasted for an ultra-strong, bold, yet at the same time, surprisingly smooth cup of coffee.

These are our top choices for the best organic decaf coffee. If we had to choose one, although it’s very hard, we would have to go with Nespresso’s Hardy Coffee, simply because of its almost 50-year-old history. We were also impressed by the fact that it is the preferred coffee in Italy, the country that actually gave the world the espresso. Still, we say you try all these coffees. What do you think?

Lake Winnipesaukee might be next door, but the historic center of Laconia, an old mill town, isn't exactly a thriving tourist destination—at least not yet. This cheerful micro-roaster and café, across from the shuttered (apparently, not forever) Colonial Theatre, is one in a small group of businesses—including a proper butcher shop, just next door—helping to invigorate the old town center.

If you want the extra strong caffeine effect you expect from Death Wish, but in a more flavorful package, Valhalla Java might be what you need. It still retains that overdose of caffeine the brand is famous for. But it also has a smoother mouthfeel and better flavor than their standard blends. The medium dark roast has flavors reminiscent of cocoa and nuts. As with other Death Wish products, you get ethical FairTrade certifications as well.

Nebraska's most impressive roaster at the moment occupies a deceptively simple (but also pleasingly modern) storefront on a block shared with a brewery, a wine bar and Omaha's most talked about ice cream shop—it's clearly a new day for the once-forlorn Blackstone District. There's a lot of this sort of positive change happening around Omaha lately, some of it down to young and talented entrepreneurs like Isaiah Sheese, who moved here to roast coffee, just a few years ago. Things appear to be working out okay—Archetype is now opening a second shop, in another up-and-coming area of town.
Next on our list is Jungle Costa Rican Coffee. This brand of coffee blend is made from pure Arabica beans. It is made and distributed by its namesake company, which is located in Doral, Florida. The beans are mainly sourced from local growers in Costa Rica. The beans are grown in fertile volcanic soil which gives the beans a light and mild acidic taste. Each batch of beans are roasted in the right temperature and in the right amount of time and are packed in heat-sealed high barrier stand-up foil bags.
Heat, as always, is an essential factor in coffee drinkability, so my taste tests have included an assessment of the flavor at brew temperature, at room temperature, and after microwaving to return the coffee to brew temperature. Anyone who’s left a fresh, full cup sitting out just a little too long—while changing over a load of laundry, say, or tackling a pet barf emergency—knows the tragic dilemma of the cold cup, too full to top off with hot-from-the-pot coffee, too cold to drink. I am a staunch proponent of microwaving coffee rather than wasting it, though I know many people (my own boyfriend included) might call this the line between cheapness and frugality. After all, if the coffee’s cheap to begin with, what’s the waste? Still, I believe microwaveability is essential to any home coffee, and can indicate whether coffee left on the burner will deteriorate or stay more or less stable, flavor-wise.
“So thrilled with this coffee. I happened upon this brand when searching for low-acidity coffee and purchased based on the positive reviews. I’m not typically a dark-roast fan; however, I haven’t been able to drink coffee in over a year due to GI issues, so I wasn’t about to be picky. I ordered and prayed this low-acid coffee would be the solution to my problems. Could I really drink coffee again without feeling like a bonfire is roasting my insides? Well, I’m pleased to report that YES! Yes, I’m able to drink coffee again — and it’s DELICIOUS! The dark roast is so smooth and not bitter at all; no funky flavor due to the low acid content. My co-workers love the taste as well. Most importantly, my belly is as unaffected as if I drank a glass of plain water. Thanks, Java Planet, for restoring my sanity and allowing me to resume my daily coffee routine I so sorely missed.”
“My husband is a coffee addict, and I’m a bit of a fanatic about chemical additives and such. When I saw organic coffee offered for review, I knew I had to get this for him. Here is his review on the coffee: ‘I typically like bolder, dark-roast coffees. Once in a while I’ll mix it up when I’m out, and I’ll order a medium-roast brand. As far as buying an entire bag for home, I’ve grown tired of most medium roasts and do not want to waste money on tinny flavored coffee. This medium roast, however, is at the top of the bracket. I had to look at the bag a second time to make sure it was actually a medium roast. Very impressive full flavor.’”
Folgers brand topped the Harris Poll Coffee of the Year list. The classic brand has an array of highly ranked flavors which cost about 32 cents an ounce. But if you like your coffee dark, this might be the brand for you. Their French Roast blend ranked #1 on the Huffington Post’s list of best store-bought French roast coffee, mainly because of it’s “pleasant flavors.” The Black Silk blend is also a deal, at $7.64 for 27.8 ounces, which has been praised for it’s great flavor without the burnt aftertaste that plagues so many other dark roasts.
Whether we're testing our favorite cold-brew brands, comparing coffee grinders, or finding the absolute best-tasting coffee beans on the planet, we're full-blown coffee experts over here at the BestProducts.com office. So when it comes to narrowing down the best coffee makers — let's just say we are totally qualified. Below, seven of our caffeine-addicted coffee-loving editors provided feedback on their absolute favorite coffee maker and why they love it so much.
Already no stranger to a good cup of coffee, Bellingham, a lively college town closer to Vancouver, BC than Seattle, reached top tier status with the addition of this very fine roaster, an extraordinary collective of expertise that has more than a few baristas and café owners around the country just a little bit excited. A very nearly elegant, all-day café—Camber's first foray on to the retail side—in downtown Bellingham is pilgrimage-worthy.
There are a lot of positive words associated with this 2 lb. bag, including grown responsibly, sourced responsibly, roasted responsibly, packaged responsibly… And, while the writer in me groans at the repeated usage of the word “responsibly,” I logically know that all of those things are good. So, ya know, good job, Real Good Coffee Co. You’re good.
Also try The recent transformation of Los Angeles café culture has been an absolute pleasure to observe—from the just-right Civil Coffee in Highland Park to the cutting-edge Coffee Hall in Chinatown (look for local roaster Compelling Coffee in the rotation) to local legend Tyler Wells' downtown kiosk, Nice Coffee, to the initially controversial (but really, very good) Weird Wave Coffee in Boyle Heights, for the most exciting developments, look east.
The professionally crafted Kauai Coffee is 100 percent Arabica Hawaiian coffee, providing you a taste of the island paradise in each cup. Select beans are expertly roasted fresh from the fields and then ground to make a mild, smooth, and aroma-rich coffee. This may be a relative newcomer in the coffee world, but the quality makes it stand out, with it being a proud USA-made product.
Don Pablo, que rico! Yes, the Don Pablo gourmet organic decaf coffee is definitely one you have to try if you are a true coffee lover. This Colombian Supremo light roast prides itself in tasting exactly like traditional coffee, only without the caffeine you are trying to avoid. Apart from that, it also has slight hints of cocoa, natural caramel, and just a touch of citrus. Yumm!
Approaches ranged from commitment to organic as a core value in a business model to mere coincidence or afterthought. Furthermore, several of the top-scoring coffees came from roasters who don’t label their coffees as organic, even when these coffees are farmed organically. The reason? They don’t have USDA certification as organic roasters, making it illegal for them to do so.
One of the best things about this product is the fact that it went through the Techno Roasting process. The latter is an FDA-approved procedure, which has the benefit of eliminating the acid in the coffee that causes heartburn. This also preserves the qualities of the coffee, such as the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. To add, it also removes the bitterness of the coffee while retaining its rich body and flavor. This means that you can enjoy unadulterated coffee with the purest flavor and aroma.

Am now on my second or third Kilo of Kick Ass...... After first finding Kick Ass, I continued to try other coffees and roasts in a search for "my preferred coffee". I still have other coffees yet to try, but have tried quite a few different high rated coffees... Some were good and some I gave away.... I do know what I want now in a coffee and roast... I want it all !!!! Now is that too much to ask ????? I grind my own beans and use a good brewer with no burner to scorch my coffee.... Kicking Horse is the only coffee that I keep coming back to.... I will tell you that so far I am torn between two favorites...... And they are both Kicking Horse Coffees !!! .... 454 Horsepower and Kick Ass...... The Kick Ass has a far superior body, while the 454 ... full review

One of the main advantages, when you get the Peak Performance High Altitude Organic Coffee, is the fact that it is USDA certified organic. So, you really can’t expect anything better than this. Besides, one of the things that turn a regular cup or organic coffee into a better one is the fact that the coffee has a single origin. And this is exactly the case of the Peak Performance High Altitude Organic Coffee.
Known best for proximity to the Wind River Mountains, this small town about an hour and a half down the road from the rarified air of Jackson got lucky when a father and son team with Wyoming roots came home after accruing years of experience to open one of the most forward-looking multi-roaster operations in the state. Check out the shop's suddenly-must-have Mavam Espresso set-up.
One of the best things about this product is the fact that it went through the Techno Roasting process. The latter is an FDA-approved procedure, which has the benefit of eliminating the acid in the coffee that causes heartburn. This also preserves the qualities of the coffee, such as the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. To add, it also removes the bitterness of the coffee while retaining its rich body and flavor. This means that you can enjoy unadulterated coffee with the purest flavor and aroma.
Treated low acid coffee refers to coffee that’s produced using special processing techniques to deliberately produce low acid results. For example, Brazilian coffee that’s roasted using a very slow or interrupted roasting process will be less acidic. Also, steaming the beans to get rid of their waxy outer coating before roasting has a similar effect.
“My wife and I have tried most of the higher-end, mail-order, and micro-roasters and finally found our go-to coffee. Really a great cup of coffee. We have always liked to freshly grind and brew our coffee, and prefer to use a French press. This coffee is not burned, bitter, or acidic. Not really a dark, dark roast. More of a medium-dark roast. Perfect. Has a slightly nutty, chocolaty, and full-body taste. For overall quality, I would give it four-and-a-half stars — but with this price point, quality, and [the fact that it] is organic, this coffee is a no-brainer.”
Already no stranger to a good cup of coffee, Bellingham, a lively college town closer to Vancouver, BC than Seattle, reached top tier status with the addition of this very fine roaster, an extraordinary collective of expertise that has more than a few baristas and café owners around the country just a little bit excited. A very nearly elegant, all-day café—Camber's first foray on to the retail side—in downtown Bellingham is pilgrimage-worthy.

This is my first time having organic coffee and I have to say that the flavor is quite impressive. This definitely stands up to the Exrra Bold label, which is a bit too strong for my taste since I prefer light or medium roasts. Its a great value for an 18-count box at about $10! I'd definitely recommend this to others & I plan on buying this again.

You can make iced coffee/tea as well, plus hot chocolate and a range of different brews in different sizes. There’s a permanent micro-filter basket that you can replace with paper filters. Of course, we could not resist and quickly swapped the filters for some testing. But, the paper filter did not yield any noticeable difference in the quality of the brew when compared to the permanent filter.

After tasting many coffees that were either completely bland or singed to bitter oblivion, Thrive Market's coffee was a welcome relief, as it offered flavor that was actually nuanced. "Aroma!" wrote my colleague Joe (note the exclamation point). "Woodsy, dark chocolate. Bright! Finished fruity, with a flavor of raspberry and copper." Other tasters also noted that this coffee was brighter than the rest, and offered nice fruitiness. The coffee has a relatively thin body, so those who like a rounder, creamier texture might find it lacking It was not so light and thin, however, that it didn't hold up nicely to a bit of milk—and you could still taste the chocolatey, woody notes through the milk, whereas many coffees lost all distinct flavor when dairy was added. Another bonus: this coffee comes in a huge 24-ounce bag, and at $12.99 for that size, it's an incredible deal.

The equal exchange works with small co-operatives of small farmers all over the world. This is a coffee chain that values people and places those places that are part of it. This may be seen simple, but it is not how things are done in coffee industry. The workers work hard to ensure that the product comes out with an excellent quality. This is one of the companies that keep on fighting for the lasting change. They have classic blend that combines dark roasted and medium coffee for the cup that is sweet and balanced with the creamy mouth feel and some hints of chocolate brownie, caramel, and roasted nut.
Promising review for their Original Black blend: "You can always tell when a company cares deeply about the quality of their products, and RISE is one of those companies. When you pop their tops, these bad boys literally GROWL at you, which I've since learned is an indication of a proper nitrogen-infused beverage (not to mention being just plain cool). I poured mine over ice and watched as a beautiful froth formed on top (the 'cascade,' as they call it). It's delightful, and definitely my new after-lunch pick-me-up!." —Marc
BREWINGCOFFEE BEANSRegion GuidesCoffee ReviewsGEAREspresso machinesCoffee MakersAccessoriesGrindersRECIPES Home →Beans →Best Organic Coffee Brands of 2019 [TRUE ORGANIC] 0 The Best Organic Coffee Beans (True 100% Certified Organic)Contents1. Death Wish Coffee2. Camano Island Roasters (Organic Sumatran)3. Volcanica Coffee's Orga​​nic Range4. Don Pablo Subtle Earth Or​​ganic5. Kicking Horse C​​offeeThings You Should Know When Choosing Organic BeansOrganic Standards (are not all the same)What’s involved? Can the organic stamp always be trusted?How to do your own extra research if you’re not sure of the labelOrganic Growing: The Fine PrintOrganic ProcessingOrganic RoastingHow to Find Locally-Grown Organic BeansBenefits of Brewing With Organic BeansThey are Much HealthierAnd Better For The EnvironmentDecaffeinating THE VERDICT: Where Do You Buy True Organic Coffee?We’re all here to find better coffee. But better can mean different things to different people. Are we talking about better taste? A better deal for the growers? Or better for the environment? I believe that true organic coffee gives you all that in one aromatic cup.How can you be sure you're buying true organic beans? And what do you need to know before switching to organic?It’s worth noting that you get a little less geographical variety with organic. Around 75% of the organic beans in the world are grown in Latin America. The remaining quarter comes from Asian and African countries.The biggest single producer? Peru. (Check our Peruvian Coffee guide here.)That’s not to say that you won’t find organic coffee from other places, but you will probably have to pay a premium for it. Now, without further ado, here are the best organic coffee brands as discovered from my own extensive research.1. Death Wish CoffeeBeans: Arabica + RobustaRoast: DarkOrigin: Blended Not only is Death Wish the strongest coffee in the world, but it’s also organic! All their beans are grown to USDA certified organic standards. On top of the high caffeine content, Death Wish offers a low-acidity brew that will really put a spring in your step. Of course, with high caffeine, you’re getting Robusta beans in with your super-smooth Arabica, but customers note how smooth the brew is despite that.Although some say you need to add extra sugar or creamer, Death Wish is noted for not being as bitter as the other ultra-strong coffee brews. If you’re caffeine sensitive then this really isn’t a choice for you, but it is a very well rated coffee (and in fact, some of the reviews are downright hilarious).Death Wish Coffee is available as a dark roast, because of course, it is. In addition to whole beans, you can order ground coffee for drip coffee makers, and it's even available in K-cups.Read our full review on Death Wish Coffee here! VIEW ON AMAZON 2. Camano Island Roasters (Organic Sumatran)Beans: ArabicaRoast: Dark, Medium-darkOrigin: Single originEverything that Camano Island roasts is organic. They’re serious about their coffee, buying only the highest quality Arabica beans to use for their blends and single origin brews. They’re also serious about their ethics, choosing shade grown, fair trade certified beans. What's more, their beans carry the Specialty Grade Top 1% Arabica badge, signifying that their green beans have passed the highest rating by the Specialty Coffee Association for uniform size, texture, and quality. All of these are important to coffee lovers.Their Sumatran makes this list because it’s an unusual choice for single-origin organic beans. (If you're not a fan of Sumatra, they also offer beans from other locations such as Brazil and New Guinea, in a range of light and medium roasts as well as dark roast.) Sumatra isn’t widely known for its organic farming, and with a ‘love-it-or-loathe-it’ reputation for flavor, it’s not what many brands would look to as the first choice for gourmet coffee. But with a flavor profile described as ‘fruity, sweet and full-bodied’, their Sumatran is praised for its rich flavor and robust brew.Perhaps that’s because their beans are grown at high altitude, as the best premium coffee should be - this is not second-best bean decaffeinated.As a final touch, Camano Island roasts in small batches just prior to shipping, so you know you’re getting your beans at their best. VIEW ON AMAZON 3. Volcanica Coffee's Orga​​nic RangeBeans: ArabicaRoast: VariedOrigin: Single originWhen it comes to organic coffees, Volcanica Coffee Company knows what they’re about. You can tell simply by reading the description right on the top of their organic coffee page.They’re not interested in slapping a label on a bag and then hiding behind it. They are obsessed with sourcing the best coffees on the planet, and have visited the farms they’re getting these coffees from. In addition to being certified organic, they are also Fair Trade Certified and Rainforest Alliance Certified, which check off two more crucial factors in the elite, well-sourced, ethically made coffee world – a world that Volcanica dominates. Furthermore, beans from Volcanica are roasted in small batches only after you place your order, guaranteeing optimal freshness to the roast. And while whole bean coffee provides the ultimate in freshness and taste, you can order Volcanica Coffee pre-ground for French press, drip coffee, and espresso coffee makers.The best part about all of this?The site has a big selection of beans from all over the world. We’re talking Indonesian options like Sumatran and Sulawesi beans, African beans from Cameroon, Colombian and Bolivian beans from South America, Central American beans from El Salvador and Guatemala, and the list goes on. Furthermore, these beans are available as dark roast, medium-dark roast, and more, for a range of sensations in your cup. CLICK FOR BEST PRICE 4. Don Pablo Subtle Earth Or​​ganicBeans: ArabicaRoast: Medium-dark roastOrigin: SIngle origin Cafe Don Pablo is another producer that ticks all the boxes and seems genuinely concerned about producing a quality product in an ethical fashion. They produce a variety of coffees, including their Signature Blend as well as a single-origin Colombian from their own rainforest-certified plantation.But their Subtle Earth Organic is made exclusively from Arabica coffee beans grown in the Marcala region of Honduras, where the soil and climate produce a cup of coffee with notes of chocolate, honey, and caramel with a deep finish. It's also a low-acidity coffee, if you're looking for a smoother cup. Roasting, as is common among the coffee roasters on this list, is done to order, in small batches. The roasting facility is approved for organic roasting, which we explain in detail later in this article.Subtle Earth is also available as a decaf, and of course, it's Swiss Water Process certified. And if you need your organic coffee fix in a hurry, Subtle Earth is available in K-cups. VIEW ON AMAZON 5. Kicking Horse C​​offeeBeans: ArabicaRoast: MediumOrigin: Blend (Africa, Central and South America)Kicking Horse Coffee produces an entire range of organic, fair trade, and Kosher coffees made from Arabica beans. We've selected their Smart Ass blend because it's a standout medium roast. As much as we love dark-roast coffee for its intense, smoky tang that seems to reach down into your soul on a too-early, too-dark morning, sometimes we crave the bright, mellow sweetness of a medium roast. Third Wave coffee drinkers are asking for lighter roast profiles, and when you've had one full of bright, complex fruit and floral elements, you can see why.The Smart Ass is a very popular seller; Kicking Horse describes it as having redcurrant notes with hints of sugar cane and milk chocolate, with a body of "honeyed berry."The Kicking Horse line includes multiple roasts (their Kick Ass coffee is a highly-rated dark roast), and they have a Swiss Water Process decaf as well if you're avoiding caffeine. VIEW ON AMAZON Things You Should Know When Choosing Organic BeansOrganic means grown without pesticides. It’s simple, right?Well…no. It’s a matter of where the coffee is grown, where it’s sold and how it has been processed along the way. If that all sounds complicated, you can just skip to the part where we make our recommendations.If you’d like to truly understand organic coffee, keep reading.Related links:The best decaf coffee beansA list of all of HomeGrounds.co's coffee bean reviewsThe best coffee subscriptionsOrganic Standards (are not all the same)There are different organic standards around the world, which makes things complicated when you look at the regulations on selling something with the ‘Organic’ label in any given country. In the US, for example, the USDA organic certification can only be used where the crop has been grown to US organic standards, no matter where in the world it comes from.If that makes your head spin, imagine being a coffee farmer.You need to make sure that you’re not only growing to the organic standards of your country, but to those of any other country you might want to sell to. For simplicity’s sake, we’re going to use the common USDA organic standards in the US in our buying guide. Simply follow the same principles outlined here with your own country or region’s rules when dealing with other organic labels.What’s involved? To sell organic in the US, you must be certified to put the organic label on your coffee — unless you’re selling $5,000 or less per year. If you want to be labeled USDA Organic, coffee sold cannot have been grown using synthetic substances, which is very often found in the fertilizers and pesticides used on typical coffee plants. Using GMOs is also off-limits.However, that green and white label only needs to show that 95% of the beans were grown this way. You can get a more comprehensive idea of the intensive details of growing organically here.NOTE: Keep in mind that organic does not automatically mean “entirely ethical.” Things like labor standards and environmentally safe growing conditions are not part of the certification.Can the organic stamp always be trusted?The USDA takes careful pains to ensure that their standards are not only up to snuff, but that all organic labeling comes through a process of approval by a certified agent. Not only that, but anyone caught selling under their label without certification can be fined $11,000 for each violation.However, trading internationally is a complicated thing, even for the USDA. If you’re uncertain about an organic label, though, you’re not entirely stuck.How to do your own extra research if you’re not sure of the labelHere is the National List of USDA-approved substances that can be used in Organic farming. This is a great tool to use in your inquiries. You can also contact a farm directly or, if you’re in the U.S., you can try to contact the National Organic Program department of the USDA.Organic Growing: The Fine PrintThe part of organic that most people are familiar with is farming that doesn’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. There are some differences around the world in how long land must have been chemical free for the crop to be considered organic.Some countries ask for a wait of 3 to 5 years, to allow residues to work their way out of the soil. For others, it’s only how you treat that particular crop which counts.It’s a popular misconception that organic crops are grown without any fertilizers or pesticides. To ensure the health of the crop, both are needed. The difference is that the plants will be given a nutritional boost using natural fertilizers such as chicken manure, coffee pulp or compost.When it comes to pest control, it’s a little more difficult. Modern coffee production has moved to growing in the open sun, to maximize the crop. This leaves the plants and cherries vulnerable to pests.Organic growers generally choose ‘the old way’ and grow their plants at least partially in the shade. This encourages natural insect and bird life to thrive, and make a meal of crop-destroying pests.Organic ProcessingWhether the coffee is wet or dry processed, the producer must be careful to make sure that the beans don’t get contaminated at any stage.That includes things like the bags that the pickers put their harvest into, and the sacks the processed beans are sent around the world in.In terms of processing, the simplest way to organically process is to use dry processing.Wet processing takes a lot longer unless chemical additives are used to speed it up. It also uses a lot of water which has an environmental impact, as does disposing of the by-products.Organic RoastingWherever it’s come from, if coffee is going to be sold as organic, it must be roasted in a roaster that hasn’t been used to toast anything other than organic beans.If it’s been used for non-organic, then there could be chemical residues which are transferred into the organic beans during the process.An organic roaster will also be sure not to add in any other chemicals or additives during the roasting process. No roaster performance-enhancing drugs. Your beans should come out as pure and untainted as when they went in .How to Find Locally-Grown Organic BeansOf course, if you live in a region where you have access to locally grown coffee beans, you can always try to purchase some organic beans right off the farm!Searching for local growers can be as easy as Googling terms like “locally grown organic coffee” or “organic coffee farms near me.” You’ll likely find more than one farm’s website pop up claiming to have organic versions of your favorite beans.Another option is to contact smaller, local Third Wave coffee shops. They’re likely to have a good deal of knowledge regarding local sources.But, again, whether it’s a local coffee shop or farm, you’re going to want to ensure that, organically certified or not, the grower is truly sticking to those organic guidelines.Questions to ask when inquiring locally:When were chemicals last used on the land?Does the grower have a plan in place for long-term organic growing?How do they fertilize and manage pests, if not with chemicals?Does the crop come into contact with other chemicals or GMO products?How do they feel about things like Fair Trade, shade grown coffee, or Rainforest Alliance? (Even if they don’t have these certifications, their opinion on them can show how seriously they take these kinds of things. Are they organic because they believe in it, or are they just trying to make a buck? The latter is more likely to lead to cutting corners.)Benefits of Brewing With Organic BeansBesides the fact that organic is so hot right now...They are Much HealthierOne of the reasons many people cite for choosing organic is that a diet without additives is considered healthier. Organically grown coffee has vitamins, mineral and antioxidants which can also help you clear out the chemical load you picked up elsewhere.There are plenty of health benefits to drinking coffee, and with organic there are no drawbacks.And Better For The EnvironmentAs I mentioned before, most coffee grown organically, is grown in shade. To grow in the sun, the forests are cut down. Tall trees and other plants are destroyed and animals and insects lose their homes.That doesn’t happen when plants are grown under the shelter of other plants and trees. Not only does your coffee get longer to ripen on the plant (more flavor!) but you are ensuring a home for birds, bugs and beasts.Decaffeinating If you need your cup of java to be low-caf, you’ll probably know about the different methods used to get the caf out of the bean. Of the three main methods, only Swiss Water Process and Carbon Dioxide Process coffee can be considered organic. The other methods introduce more chemicals into the mix, to get the caffeine out.On the bright side, these are also the two methods which taste best, so you’re not losing out on anything by sticking to your organic principles.THE VERDICT: Where Do You Buy True Organic Coffee?It wasn’t that long ago that organic was a niche market, and you had to pay a high price to have your coffee chemical free. Now, organic is mainstream and most coffee brands have their own organic blend.While that’s great for choice, it can mean that choosing ‘the best’ organic brand means sampling a lot of different brands to find the one you like. The good news is that many premium coffee brands are exclusively organic; it may not be their major selling point but if you read more about their ethics you may find something tucked away there.But the coffee brand that I think comes out best?>>> My Choice: Volcanica Coffee Co. Click Here To Check The Site! CLICK FOR BEST PRICE Yes, with all those buzz-words it sounds like an explosion in a hipster factory but there’s no denying that Volcanica Coffee Co. are ultimately about the same thing that we are. Good coffee.TweetPin36Share13+149 Shares Updated April 12, 2019 Categories ↓ Beans Coffee Reviews Related Posts 10 Best Coffee Subscription Boxes in 2019 [Coffee of the month clubs] Best Coffee for French Press? [5 Top Picks] Best Low Acid Coffee (Low on Acidity, HUGE on Flavor) Sumatra Coffee Guide: Buying, Roasting and Brewing Tips Death Wish Coffee Review: Everything You Need to Know! Best Costa Rican Coffee [Buying, Brewing and Roasting Advice] Alex Alex is the Founder and Editor of Homegrounds.co. He is passionate about brewing amazing coffee at home, and teaching others to do the same. Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 0 comments Leave a Reply: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ←Previous post Next post→ {
This flavor of coffee is pretty common and can be found at just about any store. While not unique the flavor stands up among most of donut shop and other brands. It has a rich, bold, smooth taste that goes well in the morning or even after dinner. While not as intense as some other extra bold, dark coffees it's definitely flavorful and never watery tasting like I find some other "popular" brands to be. Newman makes a good coffee.
Over the course of the year, we reviewed fewer than a dozen darker roasts. Most were medium-dark at best; some barely that. The majority of darker roasts we reviewed were sent by roasters in Taiwan and most were espressos, reflecting both the time-honored espresso practice of emphasizing chocolate and sweetness through moderate dark roasting, as well as, perhaps, a preference in Taiwan for more traditional styles of espresso as opposed to the lighter-roasted, brighter style of espresso now popular with the leading edge of North American roasters.